New body takes over transition at Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe Authority will be more business focused than its predecessor as Army eyes departure in September 2011

June 30, 2010|By David Macaulay, dmacaulay@dailypress.com | 247-7838

HAMPTON — — A new panel takes over the transition of Fort Monroe from a military outpost to an enclave of the state of Virginia today.

The 11-member Fort Monroe Authority replaces the 18-member Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority and is charged with the fort's maintenance, preservation and rebirth as a new community after the Army pulls out in 2011.

The federal authority is a quasi-public agency that has been involved for several years in the planning of the military's departure from Fort Monroe and the state's takeover of the historic post.

Fort Monroe planners envision a tourism destination with museums and other attractions focusing on the post's military history, in addition to private investment to attract visitors.

The new panel, which includes legislators and members of Gov. Bob McDonnell's cabinet, will be more business-focused with an eye on securing funding for the transition, said Bill Armbruster, executive director of the authority that is disbanding. He will continue on with the new state panel and maintain the position as executive director.

Armbruster already has been involved in that key task, having returned from a recent trip to Washington, D.C., to seek out federal dollars to complement future state investments at Monroe.

The 565-acre property includes a six-sided, 63-acre fortress sealed by 1.3 miles of granite — the last active moated fort in the United States. The post property also has 264 government buildings and housing. And a majority of the buildings on the post are deemed historic.

The new governing body faces a number of challenges. A report released at the federal authority board's final meeting last week estimated Fort Monroe will need $70 million to $80 million in infrastructure repairs. That includes streets, bridges, flood protection, electricity and other issues.

Fort Monroe will become a state enclave, open to the public, on Sept. 15, 2011, when the Army transfers it to the commonwealth of Virginia.

The new board will include Hampton Mayor Molly Joseph Ward and Hampton Councilman Ross Kearney; Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech; Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade James S. Cheng; state Sen. John Miller, D-Newport News; and state Del. Tom Gear, R-Hampton.

McDonnell is set to announce five more non-legislative members soon, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.